Ben Fogle has revealed how he applied to be on Cilla Black romance show Blind Date because he used to be ‘shy’ with women.
The broadcaster and TV presenter, 51, rose to fame as a cast member of the BBC reality show Castaway 2000 – which followed a community of 36 people marooned together on a remote Scottish island.
In the years that followed, Ben found his niche as a television adventurer – hosting shows for the BBC, ITV, Discovery and National Geographic.
However, Ben’s path to fame was almost waylaid when he applied to appear on the iconic Blind Date.
Hosted by Cilla Black from 1985 until 2003, the show saw contestants matched with a panel of prospective partners, with the successful couple sent off on a real-life date to see how they get on.
In a recent interview, Ben has revealed how his battle with shyness led him to apply for a spot on the show.
Speaking to Kate Thornton on her White Wine Question Time podcast, Ben spoke of how he was inspired by a friend who’d recently appeared on the show.
‘He and I were best friends, and he went on a little show with Cilla Black called Blind Date, he got a date,’ Ben said.
He continued: ‘And I was green with envy. So I applied for Blind Date. Not for the television.
‘Genuinely, I was single, and even though I was working in an office full of mainly women, I was just so shy, I thought I needed a kickstart.’
Ben continued: ‘So I applied for Blind Date at the same time as Castaway. Now some people may be going, oh, so you did want to be on television?
‘It sounded quite fun, but it wasn’t in search of kind of fame. I just wanted a date.’
However, he found himself facinga big decision when he was contacted by producers from both shows – forcing him to choose between Blind Date and Castaway.
‘I got offered a place on blind date on the same filming day as the very first interview for Castaway,’ Ben revealed.
‘I had to decide. Yes or no? Yes or no? Which one was I going to take? Was it going to be a year living on an island in the Hebrides with lots of sheep in the rain, where I’d have to give up my job?
‘Or did I keep the status quo of the job and staying at home and possibly get a date and be on television. And it was it was a really hard one, but I said no to Blind Date… and if I hadn’t said no to Blind Date, there’s absolutely no way I’d be doing what I do now.’
The rest, as they say, is history.
‘Shy’ Ben has come a long way where the ladies are concerned too – marrying wife Marina Hunt in 2006. The couple have two children together, son Ludovic and daughter Iona.
The pair were left devastated in 2014, when son Willem was stillborn at only 33 weeks old. The New Lives in the Wild presenter marked a decade since Willem’s death last year, describing the child as the family’s ‘guardian angel.’
‘Willem would be 10 today. I sometimes see him in my dreams. In the mountains. In the wilds. Maybe that is why I am drawn to the wilderness,’ he wrote in an Instagram post at the time.
Castaway may have been successful in launching theAnimal Park host’s career, but the show hasn’t had quite so much longevity.
While a second series aired in 2007, and a five-part reunion in 2008, Castaway didn’t have the longevity of its breakout star.
In 2023, Ben hinted at his own ambition to reboot the show, writing on Instagram: ‘I tried unsuccessfully to do this 12 years ago, maybe it’s second time lucky. Anyone interested in joining me with a proposal? Castaway 2.0? #taransay’
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